Eden

The river at present on the 16th is now in fine order. A ten pound spring fish was reported form the Eden during the week around the Carlisle area, great news!

Unfortunately, the long range weather forecast does not look that promising for next week, we could be washed off just when things are looking interesting.

The 21st February, gale force winds and driving rain are coming in to the county; this has started to raise the river levels upstream overnight. The next day on the river just above the confluence with the river Irthing, it began to rise slowly with slight colour throughout the morning. Below the Irthing it was very coloured and has made the river downstream now unfishable for the next few days.

Although the river was on the upward trend there were some very nice grayling caught today in the edges. The forecast for the rest of the month is not very inspiring to say the least!

The lower river has peaked at about four and a half feet of extra water last night (22nd), never mind, I am of to Argentina today!

River Eden

Quite a cold snap across Cumbria for the fist week of February, there is ice in the margins and the daytime air temperature on occasions not exceeding the water temperature of 2oC. The fishing is not great at present for either grayling or salmon with these very cool conditions.

The second week has been a little milder and this has got the grayling interested, some very nice fish around the two pound mark are showing up and it is also good to see some smaller weight class. There is still no sign of any numbers of kelts on the river; usually at this time of the year the lower river is heavily populated with them. Have they all gone or are they still to drop down? There were certainly plenty of fish that went up the river last year.

13th February; the weather has turned markedly mild, the river is in fine order and running at just above summer level, it is 5oC and clear. There have been small hatches of Large Dark Olive during the afternoons; the air temperatures are now climbing to near double figures. With the slightly warmer weather, grayling are showing a little more interest, bug type flies fished near the bottom are proving the most effective.